Welcome

St Batholomew's Church, Wigginton is a place where you can belong and grow in the knowledge and love of God. Your faith can grow richer and stronger and people are encouraged and challenged. Whether young or old, people from all kinds of backgrounds have made themselves at home here. We are sometimes informal, sometimes more traditional and we welcome new ideas. We give a central place to the work of the Holy Spirit, the Bible and the sacraments. Laughter, friendships, challenge, prayer, fun and serving are integral to our faith. We are a lively Anglican Church . Through a wide range of activities and services we aim to be a meeting place for locals and visitors alike. This website gives details of aspects of church life which we hope you’ll find useful.

If you are new to the village or church, let us know and we will be pleased to welcome you.

Readings for Sunday March 29TH 2015

PALM SUNDAYLiturgy of the Palms

Mark 11:1-11

Entering Jerusalem on a Colt

When
they were nearing Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany on Mount Olives,
he sent off two of the disciples with instructions: “Go to the village
across from you. As soon as you enter, you’ll find a colt tethered, one
that has never yet been ridden. Untie it and bring it. If anyone asks,
‘What are you doing?’ say, ‘The Master needs him, and will return him
right away.’”

They
went and found a colt tied to a door at the street corner and untied
it. Some of those standing there said, “What are you doing untying that
colt?” The disciples replied exactly as Jesus had instructed them, and
the people let them alone. They brought the colt to Jesus, spread their
coats on it, and he mounted.

The
people gave him a wonderful welcome, some throwing their coats on the
street, others spreading out rushes they had cut in the fields. Running
ahead and following after, they were calling out,

Hosanna!Blessed is he who comes in God’s name!Blessed the coming kingdom of our father David!Hosanna in highest heaven!

He
entered Jerusalem, then entered the Temple. He looked around, taking it
all in. But by now it was late, so he went back to Bethany with the
Twelve.

Liturgy of the Passion

Isaiah 50:4-9 (NRSV)

The Servant’s Humiliation and Vindication

The Lord God has given methe tongue of a teacher,[a]that I may know how to sustainthe weary with a word.Morning by morning he wakens—wakens my earto listen as those who are taught.The Lord God has opened my ear,and I was not rebellious,I did not turn backward.I gave my back to those who struck me,and my cheeks to those who pulled out the beard;I did not hide my facefrom insult and spitting.

The Lord God helps me;therefore I have not been disgraced;therefore I have set my face like flint,and I know that I shall not be put to shame;he who vindicates me is near.Who will contend with me?Let us stand up together.Who are my adversaries?Let them confront me.It is the Lord God who helps me;who will declare me guilty?All of them will wear out like a garment;the moth will eat them up.

Philippians 2:5-11 (NRSV)

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

who, though he was in the form of God,did not regard equality with Godas something to be exploited,but emptied himself,taking the form of a slave,being born in human likeness.And being found in human form,he humbled himselfand became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.

Therefore God also highly exalted himand gave him the namethat is above every name,so that at the name of Jesusevery knee should bend,in heaven and on earth and under the earth,and every tongue should confessthat Jesus Christ is Lord,to the glory of God the Father.

Mark 14-15:47 (NRSV)

The Plot to Kill Jesus

It
was two days before the Passover and the festival of Unleavened Bread.
The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him; for they said, “Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people.”

The Anointing at Bethany

While he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,
as he sat at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very
costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the
ointment on his head. But some were there who said to one another in anger, “Why was the ointment wasted in this way? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor.” And they scolded her. But Jesus said, “Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me. For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the good new is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.”

Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus

Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. When
they heard it, they were greatly pleased, and promised to give him
money. So he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.

The Passover with the Disciples

On
the first day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is
sacrificed, his disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to go and
make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?” So
he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go into the city, and a
man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him, and
wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher asks,
Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.” So the disciples set out and went to the city, and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.

When it was evening, he came with the twelve. And
when they had taken their places and were eating, Jesus said, “Truly I
tell you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” They began to be distressed and to say to him one after another, “Surely, not I?” He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the bowl with me. For
the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by
whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that one
not to have been born.”

The Institution of the Lord’s Supper

While
they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he
broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

Peter’s Denial Foretold

When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. And Jesus said to them, “You will all become deserters; for it is written,

‘I will strike the shepherd,and the sheep will be scattered.’

But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter said to him, “Even though all become deserters, I will not.” Jesus said to him, “Truly I tell you, this day, this very night, before the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.” But he said vehemently, “Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And all of them said the same.

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

They went to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated. And he said to them, “I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep awake.” And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. He said, “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.” He came and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep awake one hour? Keep awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial;[i] the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And once more he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to say to him. He
came a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking
your rest? Enough! The hour has come; the Son of Man is betrayed into
the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going. See, my betrayer is at hand.”

The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

Immediately,
while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived; and
with him there was a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief
priests, the scribes, and the elders. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.” So when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. Then they laid hands on him and arrested him. But one of those who stood near drew his sword and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his ear. Then Jesus said to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit? Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. But let the scriptures be fulfilled.” All of them deserted him and fled.

A certain young man was following him, wearing nothing but a linen cloth. They caught hold of him, but he left the linen cloth and ran off naked.

Jesus before the Council

They took Jesus to the high priest; and all the chief priests, the elders, and the scribes were assembled. Peter
had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high
priest; and he was sitting with the guards, warming himself at the fire.
Now the chief priests and the whole council were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death; but they found none. For many gave false testimony against him, and their testimony did not agree. Some stood up and gave false testimony against him, saying, “We
heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and
in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’” But even on this point their testimony did not agree. Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer? What is it that they testify against you?” But he was silent and did not answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” Jesus said, “I am; and

‘you will see the Son of Manseated at the right hand of the Power,’and ‘coming with the clouds of heaven.’”

Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses? You have heard his blasphemy! What is your decision?” All of them condemned him as deserving death. Some
began to spit on him, to blindfold him, and to strike him, saying to
him, “Prophesy!” The guards also took him over and beat him.

Peter Denies Jesus

While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came by. When she saw Peter warming himself, she stared at him and said, “You also were with Jesus, the man from Nazareth.” But he denied it, saying, “I do not know or understand what you are talking about.” And he went out into the forecourt. Then the cock crowed. And the servant-girl, on seeing him, began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” But
again he denied it. Then after a little while the bystanders again said
to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them; for you are a Galilean.” But he began to curse, and he swore an oath, “I do not know this man you are talking about.” At
that moment the cock crowed for the second time. Then Peter remembered
that Jesus had said to him, “Before the cock crows twice, you will deny
me three times.” And he broke down and wept.

Jesus before Pilate

As
soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the
elders and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him
away, and handed him over to Pilate. Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” He answered him, “You say so.” Then the chief priests accused him of many things. Pilate asked him again, “Have you no answer? See how many charges they bring against you.” But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.

Pilate Hands Jesus over to Be Crucified

Now at the festival he used to release a prisoner for them, anyone for whom they asked. Now a man called Barabbas was in prison with the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection. So the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to do for them according to his custom. Then he answered them, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” For he realized that it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed him over. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. Pilate spoke to them again, “Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” They shouted back, “Crucify him!” Pilate asked them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him!” So
Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them; and
after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified.

The Soldiers Mock Jesus

Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters[o]); and they called together the whole cohort. And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. And they began saluting him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

The Crucifixion of Jesus

They
compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his
cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it. And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take.

It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left.[q]Those who passed by derided[r] him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!” In
the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also
mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; he cannot
save himself. Let the Messiah,
the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see
and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also taunted him.

The Death of Jesus

When it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. At
three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema
sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”[u]When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah.” And
someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and
gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will
come to take him down.” Then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”

There
were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary
Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and
Salome. These
used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and
there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.

The Burial of Jesus

When evening had come, and since it was the day of Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Joseph
of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself
waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and
asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate wondered if he were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether he had been dead for some time. When he learned from the centurion that he was dead, he granted the body to Joseph. Then Joseph bought a linen cloth, and taking down the body,[y]
wrapped it in the linen cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been hewn
out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid.

Service times

Every Wednesday @ 9.30am

Holy Communion BCP

SUNDAYS

8am Holy Communion BCP

10am Parish Eucharist CW

6pm Evensong BCP

4th Sunday of the month

Family Service @ 10am

Palm Sunday March 29th.

Walk of Witness for the whole family from The Greyhound to the church for our Palm Sunday Eucharist.

Meeting at the Greyhound at 9.45am

Holy week at St. Barts

Maundy Thursday April 2nd

8pm. Washing the feet and Stripping the Altar

Good Friday 3rd. April 12 noon -3pm

Three hours of devotion with readings, music, prayer and meditation

Saturday April 4th 8pm

Lighting the New Fire of Easter

Sunday April 5th.

Easter Day

8am Holy Communion BCP

10am Parish Eucharist for Easter. A service of praise and thanksgiving. "He is Risen indeed. Alleluia"

After the service there will be an Easter Egg hunt in the church grounds